Freeze, by Kate Simants, sees Tori, a popular TV presenter, now turning her hand to making TV shows. Her first show her new TV production company is making is Freeze Out, a reality TV show set in the Arctic where eight contestants will battle it out to win a £100,000 prize. She has a lot riding on the success of the show and it simply can not fail.

The story unfolds alternating between the perspectives of Tori and Dee. It becomes apparent early on that Tori is committed to making the show a success at literally any cost and that in order to do so corners have been cut to save money. Although Dee is Tori’s friend, she can not ignore her concerns - there has to be some duty of care for the contestants in such a remote location. As I was reading I shared Dee’s concerns and began to wonder just how far Tori would push things to make her show.

I think we are all well versed in reality shows, even if we don’t watch them. Reality contestants will present themselves in a way that they wish to be seen, which may not be who they really are. They may withhold information or lie. We all know that reality contestants are on the shows for their own reason - they want money, fame, want to be universally liked or they have another agenda. So, it’s no surprise to find that the contestants on Freeze Out live up to all those of traits. As such, it’s quite hard to warm to any of the contestants.

Freeze is a sort-of locked-room mystery in that no-one can leave the ship in their remote location. As there’s no escape, the tension really builds up between Dee and Tori and also between the contestants themselves. Adding to the tension is the change in weather and the ship getting icebound. It really does feel like they are sitting ducks in the ice. I read the book in two sittings, I just had to know how it would end and how far Tori would push things.

I think the relationship and cracks that emerged in it between Dee and Tori maintained my interest in the book. As said, I didn’t warm to the contestants and I did find some of the twists and turns and coincidences involving the contestants a little too ‘tidy’ and convenient.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Viper, for making the e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review

This is definitely an "on the fence" kind of book. I've been hearing about it for a while now and it sounded like it would be really good. Such a great premise, it sounded like it would be really tense and creepy and atmospheric and claustrophobic. But sadly, it fell short of my expectations.

It started off slow (I kept looking at the page number to see how far I'd got) and unfortunately, it never really hit its stride. It sounded like it would be this creepy thriller, but it never got that far. It felt very everyday, and I never felt much concern or fear for the case. Even the location fell flat. The middle of the icy ocean, it could have been so good, but it almost felt like an afterthought.

One positive point is there was a small cast, which meant it was relatively simple to figure out who was who, which means you can focus more on the actual story. The problem is, none of them are very memorable. You have Dee and Tori who are the leads, but I never really fell into either of their stories. No-one was really standout in either a positive or negative way, and so then you end up not caring. I'd rather someone be a really horrible character than a "meh" character, as at least I'd have something to get my teeth into.

It felt a bit bitty. Lots of things dropped into conversation to whet the appetite but never picked up on. This was probably with the hope it would build up the tension, but I just felt a bit annoyed after a while.

I think it would have been improved by introducing the deaths earlier. I know you have to introduce everyone and build up this sense of unease, but that only works if the setup is worth it. But I was already considering giving up before it got to the first death, and it needed that to hook you in. However, if I'm honest, even when things started to kick off, I still found it somewhat tedious.

I have seen some really positive reviews, and I've also seen some negative ones. I'm definitely somewhere in the middle. Great promise but it didn't live up to its potential. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good. A bit vanilla and unsatisfying for me.

Freeze focuses on a new reality TV show being shot on a ship off the coast of Greenland, promising punishing challenges in Arctic conditions. It's narrated by producer Tori, hoping to launch her new company Tori Tells Stories in style, and her friend and camerawoman Dee, who is struggling with a mysterious depression. Things start to go wrong from the start as Tori and Dee realise how many corners have been cut: the ship isn't an icebreaker, so they could end up stranded in the solidifying ice, and the researcher they've hired hasn't done her job properly. But neither of them realise just how much worse things will get.

I love locked-room thrillers set in icy environments, but unfortunately, Freeze wasn't up there with favourites like Allie Reynolds's Shiver and Ruth Ware's One By One. It has to handle a big cast of characters because of the nature of its premise, and while I did manage to keep track of them, I felt like I wasn't invested in any of them, including our two narrators, whom I kept confusing because they sound exactly the same. And while the novel starts off well with its descriptions of icebergs 'as big as tower blocks' and the threat posed by storms that accelerate out of nowhere, I felt like much of its second half could have been set anywhere cold and snowy. The twists were too convoluted, and, as with many recent thrillers, this came at the expense of character and atmosphere - I never felt the tension of the situation.

I will post my full review to Goodreads and my blog nearer the publication date.

Rounding up to three stars

For me, this one never quite hit the mark, and I can't be sure why.
It's an interesting idea , fantastic setting, small cast so you CAN remember who is who, and a lot of secrets.
I didnt find any of the characters likeable, or unlikeable enough to care what happened to them, and possibly too many twists for me.
Some good moments, but nothing too memorable I fear.